"It's heaven on earth": After facing harship, Ali Nazim embraces life in Vincentia

"Family is the most important thing when it comes to us," he said.

"I think Harmony Week isn't just about different cultures, it's about being at Harmony with yourself and your family and being all together."

"I like to take my grandparents out a lot, today we're at the Chocolate Room in Sydney."

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When you take a look back at Ali's journey to Australia and the challenges he and his family endured, it's clear why family and helping others are such a strong themes in his life.

Having to escape Iraq due to "bombs continuously raining down upon us", Ali and his family fled to Turkey. After experiencing poverty and living off day old bread, Ali arrived in Australia.

"We've lived through a lot. And my mum always said to choose a path that would help people" he said.

"Now, my uncle is a doctor over here. My cousin is a speech pathologist. My sister works for the Department of Child Protective Services.

"None of these opportunities would have happened if we had not come over and have Australia accept us. It's a country that has opened its arm and is full of grace and has given us things I could never imagine."

Now, Ali is the owner of Choice Pharmacy in Vincentia and Bomaderry, and lives in Vincentia with his beautiful wife Jasmine and three-year-old daughter Noora.

"I chose Choice Pharmacy because they are all about helping people. I want the best service for our community, especially for a country that has helped us out so much, it's just a little way that I can give back," said Ali.

Making the move to the South Coast at the end of 2014, Ali said accepting an offer to own Choice Pharmacy was one of the best decisions of his life.

"I graduated from pharmacy and then worked as a pharmacist and then decided to pursue a career in law. So I went to study law at the University of Canberra," he said.

"It was the second year of my law degree when I was working one day a week at Choice Pharmacy, and I got a phone call to say, 'Hey, would you like to own your own pharmacy?'

"I thought it was the best option ever. And when they told me was the South Coast I was even more excited.

"Vincentia is literally heaven on earth.

"I think the best part of it is the people. You will never come across nicer people than in Vincentia. There is something about it."

Ali said he has had a few experiences with starting a new life, but he has loved building his life in Vincentia.

"Seven days after opening Choice Pharmacy, I actually got married to my lovely wife Jasmine. That time was the biggest rush of my life, I wasn't only starting a new job, it was the start of a brand new life," he said.

"And I think I've done that quite a few times coming from Baghdad going to another life in Turkey, then another life in Sydney and another life in the South Coast.

"I literally feels like an escape here. It's an absolute Godsend."

Food and education are big parts of Ali's culture. His Grandma, who is in her 90s, still loves to cook traditional food for the whole family.

"My grandmother still cooks and she still has old traditions that she's kept from back home where she still cooks for our family," said Ali.

"For example, on Christmas day, there'll be probably 20 or 30 dishes on the table, she'll feed all of us and think there's about 23 people in the family now.

"She'll start cooking at 4am in the morning, and will continue cooking all day until breakfast. That is one of our traditions that we've kept."

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